Optional Doctors
by royslady51
Summary: TenToo proved more interested in Pete's World's Sarah Jane than in Rose, Rose said 'yes' to the Travel offer of another version of the Doctor shortly before she knew he was due to regenerate into a sarcastic, somewhat violent version. She intended to handle him so Peri didn't have to.


**Summary:** Rose is a lot sneakier than anyone thought, so when TenToo proved more interested in Pete's World's Sarah Jane than in Rose, Rose said 'yes' to the Travel offer of another version of the Doctor that was much, _much _younger than the ones she had known and allowed him to take her away with him _then_. Two hours later she had to keep Peri calm when Five regenerated into Six.

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_**This fic is using the NEW body count that includes **_**John Hurt's Ninth Doctor**_**, not the old. Chris' Doctor is Ten and David's Doctor is Eleven.**_

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**Optional Doctors**

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"Remember that _highly _colorful outfit I showed you in the Wardrobe Room?"

"The _eye-blinding_ one? Yes."

"Go fetch it for him while I make him tea. He's going to need the tannins and free radicals. He's _not _dead, Peri...he'll be out of it for a bit and then he'll be back again, just...different. _Really _different. Still _him_, though. If he ever frightens you, just ask him what his Promise was...ask him to _recite_ it...and then ask him to compare it to his behavior. Then simply turn on your heel and walk away without another word. That'll do for the first time, after that, treat him like a fussy Eleven year old human boy. In Time Lord terms, he's a teenager...and he'll behave like one. We may be far younger in real terms, but we are adults of our species while he isn't. Keep it in mind when you interact with him."

"_How_ do you know these things?" Peri wanted to know as she continued on down the corridor from the kitchen when Rose went in to put the kettle on.

"It's one of the things I don't discuss, but I've seen him regenerate before but my him was a lot older than this one. I've heard chapter and verse about the Sixth Doctor from the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. It'll be fine, I _promise_. The hardest part is going to be figuring out the new body's personal quirks. And how he takes his tea...the sooner he's got his brains settled into place, the better, tea will take care of that."

She was back in the console room with the Doctor as the glowfire died away, settling the tea service next to him with a wide array of fixings. "This you'll be upset and _impossible _to get along with until we find out how you take your tea, so let's get that settled first." She told him calmly. "I believe you should still manage to recall the body number of my first and second versions of you? I've had chapter and verse on Sixth from Ten and Eleven. Watch the sarcasm and we'll be fine. And keep your Promise firmly in mind...cuz I know what was."

"Yes, of course, I'm not stupid."

"_Mmm_. You're still working on finding out who the Doctor _is _this go, let's reserve judgment on that bit for now? Cuz I have known one that...failed to use your brain as often as you ought to. Whose to say that's the only one?"

"Where's Peri?" He asked in a rather cold voice, as he tested the various tea combinations Rose had on the tray. It took three tries before he found the one he liked, eyed the scrap of paper with it that she'd jotted down his cup's additions on and nodded. "Three sugars, one lemon _and _milk: Bit excessive, really, this go. But _delicious_."

"Fetching the outfit I sent her for, she thought the glowfire was _real _fire...and she was _terrified_, so I just explained enough to calm her down and sent her to the Wardrobe Room."

"_Presumptuous_, aren't you?"

"Not really, _no_. After all, I _have _seen this you in my you's Gallery, haven't I? I know what this body's signature outfit is. You've got two, this go, actually, but my you said it'll be a while before you bother with the second one. I know when, though."

Once he'd finished four cups he handed her the tray. "That's enough for now, I'm _stabilized_. Next time I drink tea I want it to be about the _tea_, yes?"

She held it up, well above her head and watched his expression when the TARDIS took it from her without a word spoken. She quirked one eyebrow. "Told Fifth you, that the TARDIS and I have a special relationship. It's my past, but you won't find out what's going on until just before you regenerate from Ten to Eleven. You know better than to ask and I know better than to tell you something that distant for you even if you did. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask my sister."

_"Sister?"_

"Yes...your timeship. We share DNA because of that incident I refuse to discuss with you."

"WHAT!?"

"Hey, _Rose Tyler _here...I eat 'impossible' for breakfast _and use the laws of physics for snacks between meals_."

He stared at her in fascinated horror as her claim was confirmed in his mind by the TARDIS. His ship flatly told him she refused to be separated from Rose. He would pass Rose up the line, so to speak, from himself to himself, and sister or no, his ship still refused to give him any details...not that he'd really expected her to, "This is going to an interesting start to this lifetime."

"I suppose so...but with me here the likelihood is, that it's going to deviate fairly fast and you're going to have to be more alert than usual. The sooner you pass me to an elder, the better. Sissy'll keep an eye out for the fixed points and I guess we'll just have to wing it for the rest." She leaned over to give him a hand up. "Poor old bastard, you look like a blonde, little orphan Annie, this go."

"Damn it."

She smiled a tongue touched smile at him that had him answering it with a smile of his own, however unwillingly. "You do realize that unlike Peri, I'm not unprepared to do my job...and I know a few things about this personality...so, word of warning. Watch your mouth or you _will _be introduced to the Traditional Tyler Slap a lot sooner than you would have been. Nevermind the packaging, Doctor, I know you. And I do mean _know_. You need to do two things."

"Which are?"

"Refrain from attacking Peri. I'll remain here until you find an older self...and then I will go with the elder. Your Eleventh form is..._unstable_. Very unstable...I'm very much afraid for that you."

"Well, if I've gotten into the habit of not _thinking_..."

"Doesn't stop you _acting_, mind...you hurt. Inside, keep it bottled up and I don't know anyone else that can set it off and still know when to _back _off. Pressure cooker...with no release valve...Doctor, I need to get back to that you. Even so young, you should understand why you need me."

"Yes." He sound faintly horrified. "Which elder?"

She handed him a slip of paper containing a date when her first Doctor had dropped her off for a week long visit with her mum, "Just land in Ten's console room, and let him worry about passing along to Eleven when you let him know that _this_ me is older, and is not _his_ me. His me is visiting my mum, he's alone for a few days, and he knows who I am."

"You knew two of me before your accident."

"Yes."

"You are closer, more sure of yourself, more worried about me and more determined to take of...yes, take care _of_ me...than anyone I've met."

"Doctor, you ran the tests on me and never answered your question. I'm going to answer it now...I was born human."

"Human? That's impossible."

"Ask the TARDIS."

He did so and paled. "You gave up your species and people for love of **_me_**...?"

"Yes." She told him quietly. "And I need to get back to my timeline and the version of you that I _belong_ to."

"Yes...let's find Ten, shall we?"

"Not yet, wait until you wake up. Come on, then...we're stable and in the Vortex, let's get you to bed so you can sleep off your regeneration."

"Time Lords don't...oh, yeah...you _know _about that." He grumbled and let her nudge him down the hall to his room. He was wobbly enough that she got him into jimjams and tucked him in without too much trouble. Talking him into using a healing trance instead of a nap took longer but the Doctor did eventually concede to her point that since he'd have the energy for just a bit over the next 14 hours anyway, it was stupid to waste it...but reminding him that the TARDIS would use what he didn't via their link and asking him how selfish he intended to be, was overdone, he thought as he drifted off. Apparently, she'd not been joking with her claim to know him quite _well_. She'd managed him properly, hadn't she?

He paused. "What the other thing?"

"This body and the next as well, needs to keep the Promise firmly in mind at all times. _Teenagers_...and I've alerted Peri to the fact that she's basically just a...glorified babysitter."

"Did you?"

"She's an adult human and so I was before my transformation, you are _not_ an adult Time Lord. Now hush and trance on down."

He stuck out his tongue and tranced down.

****TBC****


End file.
